Lady Artz: Hello, everyone and welcome back to my Final Fantasy XII story, Dawn of Twilight! I know that it has been a very long time since I posted a new chapter and for that I deeply apologize. I have been having some trouble getting back to my writing because I am still recovering from a severe persistent depression. Add anxiety and ADHD to that and we have ourselves a triple threat combo.

This chapter may be a little off because I don't have the core written out with the exception of one flashback sequence. Again, the depression is a real pain, but please bear with me as I attempt to find my writing mojo again.

Much thanks to all those that have faved, followed, and reviewed my stories. Even without me updating, many of you have continued to support me and I am deeply honored and moved by your dedication. I hope that support continues as I try to rediscover myself.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Final Fantasy franchise. All credit goes to its creators and the many people that helped bring this universe to life. I do, however, own my original characters, namely Artz and Benedict.

I think that about covers it, so without a further delay...I present to you Chapter Eight of Dawn of Twilight.


Chapter Eight: The Dalmascan Knight


The ginger haired dimensional traveler let out a long suffering sigh before turning to the two idiots that seemed to get into trouble at the drop of a hat...any hat. They were both staring at her with two very different expressions on their faces. Vaan was sporting the open mouth, gawking state of shock while the troublesome sky pirate was apparently impressed by her display and had that annoying, smug smirk on his irritatingly handsome face. How did she get into this mess? Oh yeah, she decided to hitch a ride on the crazy train after bumping into Vaan of all people.

"You two alright?" She asked getting a little uncomfortable with all the staring/gawking.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" The sky pirate asked knowing that it was rhetorical at this point.

Vaan snapped his mouth shut but then opened it to say something, but didn't get the chance to as they heard the sound of metal on stone. The guards were coming and the last thing they need to be was, quite literally, the center of attention. She rushed over to them and pushed them up against the wall of the circular arena, just out of sight of the approaching Imperials.

Balthier took that moment to peek out and he almost groaned.

"Great. They just don't give up, do they?" He mumbled annoyed by this newest development.

"He's a hard one to ditch." She whispered back, already knowing who that particular bangaa was.

They had had several encounters over the last two years, mainly her beating the crap out of them for getting between her and her mark. It would not bode well if they knew she was here, especially in her weakened state.

"Now is looking like a good time for us to leave." He responded catching a glimpse of Fran out of the corner of his eye.

The three of them moved swiftly and quietly to the gate Fran was behind as she lifted it enough to allow them to slide under.

"Through the oubliette, there's a way out. Only..." The Viera started hesitating slightly.

"The Mist, not surprising." Artz finished for her, knowing exactly what Fran's senses were telling her.

"Then we'll need weapons." The pirate stated as the three of them slid under the gate and out of the arena.

Their attention was drawn back to the Imperials when one of the soldiers started shouting.

"What did you call me? Say that again!" He yelled.

"Idiots, the lot of them." The ginger mumbled under her breath causing the sky pirate to choke down a snort of amusement.

"What, you couldn't hear? I merely said that the lot of you are incompetent fools. If you've the sky pirate and the mark hunter in your hands, where are they?" The bangaa replied unperturbed by the guard.

The crimson haired mark hunter tensed, swearing a long line of curses inside her head. Of course, he would know she was here! That damn bangaa and his gang were bloody cockroaches! Balthier pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her waist, almost possessively as he glared at the bounty hunter. She smiled slightly at his reaction. He probably didn't realize that he had taken such an action and she found it rather amusing.

"You'd have done better, Ba'Gamnan? By your own words, it was the Imperial army who caught this sky pirate and mark hunter of yours. We've done your job for you! We don't require the assistance of filthy headhunters. The Empire will restore order here." The soldier stated smugly like he really had any say in the matter.

"Wrong thing to say. Honestly, does he want his head sawed off?" The red head muttered smirking as she felt the pirate's silent chuckling radiate through his body.

"Eh? What's that you say now? Maybe I'll whet my blade on you...before I kill Balthier and Artz." The bounty hunter now identified as Ba'Gamnan threatened.

"Predictable." Artz muttered earning a small snort from the Viera surprisingly.

"That's enough, Ba'Gamnan." An authoritative voice commanded.

The mark hunter went shock still, her eyes wide. Bloody hell! She had forgotten about this part! If they got caught, they were so screwed, especially her because she was Basch's best friend. Hello target, meet her back...and front...and probably her head too. Fuck her life...seriously, just smite her now and be done with it. Save her from this perpetual hell that had the audacity to call itself her life!

The head hunter turned his attention to the new arrival, a man clad in heavy armor from head to toe with a flowing black cape attached to his shoulders.

"A Judge." Fran stated a sense of finality held within those two words.

Vaan, the boy that never went anywhere other than Rabanastre, simply repeated the word 'judge' as a question. The red head really needed to educate the boy about the world because at this rate he was going to end up dead from his own ignorance.

"Judges are the self-proclaimed guardians of law and order in Archadia. They're the elite guard of House Solidor and basically the commanders of the Imperial army." Artz answered trying to keep it simple for the blonde.

"Hmph. They're more executioners than judges. Not a friendly lot, at any rate. What are they doing here?" The pirate asked curious.

"That's no ordinary judge. He's Gabranth." The ginger spat her anger beginning to rise.

The blonde haired youth's head snapped to her instantly, remembering what she had told him about Gabranth in the Estersand, and he honestly did not want a run in with him...if what she told him was true.

Ba'Gamnan stepped aside as the Judge and his entourage walked down the steps.

"The Emperor is willing to overlook race for his more talented servants. However, those that do not show respect will receive none in kind." Gabranth stated an underlying threat in his voice.

"Respect is not given it is earned, you stupid clotpole." The ginger hissed under her breath.

Balthier squeezed her waist briefly, glancing at her for a brief moment. She settled down a bit, huffing silently in annoyance.

"You travel freely through our lands because the Emperor wills it. Am I correct?" The Judge continued overriding Ba'Gamnan's initial protest.

"Pompous ass." Artz muttered leaning her head on the pirate's chest, wanting nothing more to be as far away from this place as possible.

The head hunter threw up his hands, muttering 'Bah' under his breath before turning around and walking away. Gabranth turned to face the lead soldier who was saluting him practically the whole time before promptly ignoring him and walking off. The soldier immediately followed him.

"Where is the Captain?" The Imperial Judge questioned.

"We have him in solidarity, Your Honor. We're ready to begin our interrogation." The soldier answered.

The crimson haired mark hunter growled lowly, her entire body screaming at her to kill them all. Had she not been running away for two years like an idiot, her best friend wouldn't even be here, but no, she was caught up in her own selfish problems to even bother remembering that he was being held in the dungeon of her very own home. Man, she was a bitch.

She hoped he would forgive her for that oversight...though she knew that he would be grateful for the fact that she did not bust him out on her own. Basch, although understanding her true abilities, knew she was nowhere near as powerful as she used to be and a rescue attempt would have just landed her in chains as well and the Dalmascan knight would never forgive himself for letting any harm befall her while trying to save him.

She barely tuned back as Fran began speaking.

"The magicks binding the door to the oubliette are quite strong. Too strong even for my talents." The Viera stated softly.

"I can open it." The ginger piped up.

Balthier shook his head in disagreement.

"No, you need to regather your strength. I need you as close to your best as I can get in case we run into any...problems." He replied eying the lingering bangaa floating about, "We'll just have to get them to open it for us."

Vaan opened his mouth to speak but the mark hunter simply placed a finger on his lips, effectively silencing him.

"Hush, mommy and daddy are busy." The red head stated sassily before continuing, "Besides, I know Nalbina inside and out."

The blonde removed her finger from his mouth.

"How?" He asked genuinely curious.

"This was her home, Vaan." Balthier answered for her.

"It still is. Now let's go." She corrected.


The Viera known as Fran stopped them in their mad dash to follow the Judge and his entourage when she spotted their belongings in what looked to be a dumping ground for the prisoners' former possessions.

"Ah! The prison repository of wrested relics and armaments." The sky pirate stated rather poetically.

"Keep it simple, stupid." Artz commented before looking at Vaan, "Our stuff is in here."

The group of four quickly located their missing items and equipped their once missing equipment. They then hurried down the hall, the doors beginning to close. Balthier and Fran made it easily while Vaan barely scurried through at the last second. Artz, however, didn't make it.

She huffed in annoyance at her weakened body. She could have made if she was in prime condition, but she wasn't so there was no point in dwelling on it. Besides, she knew all the secrets passages within the fortress and dungeon. She smirked as she placed her hand on the right wall, zapping it with her magic briefly before disappearing from the hallway entirely.

On the other side of the door, Balthier had made a rather hasty retreat to avoid being seen by several guards roaming about the place.

"There are more turnkeys than cut purses down here. I've had my fill of chains. Let's tread lightly, shall we?" He suggested not noticing that the crimson haired woman was missing.

"Artz is behind the door! She didn't make it through in time!" Vaan informed them in a panicked whisper.

The sky pirate whipped around and silently cursed himself for not remembering that she was still recovering from summoning that creature in the Waterway. They had to find a way to open the doors and retrieve her because there was no way in hell he was leaving her behind. He walked swiftly to the doors trying to find some kind of mechanism to reopen the doors.

He was so focused on trying to get to the red head that he didn't notice when his other two companions were pulled through a wall. He nearly let out a shout, barely choking it down to a grunt, as he too was pulled through the same wall...by none other than the missing mark hunter.

"How..." He started slightly confused by what had just occurred.

She giggled, a smile coming to her face.

"Nalbina is my home, remember? I know all the ins and outs...including quite a few hidden passage ways that the Imperials still don't know about." She answered her smile falling into a smirk, "This particular passage happens to let out near the gate to the oubliette."

The ginger then spun on her heel and walked down the passage, Vaan and Fran already falling in behind her.

"How does she do that?" The pirate mumbled shaking his head in bewilderment as he trailed after the others.

They reached the end of the passage in under a minute. Artz tapped the wall briefly with her magic but instead of making it passable, she instead caused it to shimmer like water and appear semi transparent. She motioned them to remain silent as the Judge and his entourage passed, walking up to the gate.

One of the Imperial mages began to chant and the magicks on the gate faded away. The gate then opened and the Judge strode forward like he owned the place but what Balthier didn't account for was that the mage resealed the gate before they could even step out of the hidden passage way. The mage then left the area, no doubt returning to his other duties.

The group stepped out of the passage and walked up to the gate.

"Now what?" Vaan asked shifting around uneasily.

The crimson haired mark hunter smirked as she glanced back at the brown haired sky pirate.

"I do believe that I said that it was you who was going to need me to escape from this little dungeon." She reminded looking very much like the cat that ate the canary.

Balthier looked at her, frowning slightly.

"You know how to open the gate without straining yourself?" He asked giving her a firm look.

"Who do you think designed the seal for the gate in the first place?" She countered loving how his eyebrows shot up in surprise, "My husband and I created the seal to protect the fortress and the town from the critters in the tunnels below. The incantation the mage used was the official way to open the gate."

"And the unofficial way?" He responded seeing where she was going with this.

"I thought it best to have a back door to the seal in case the fortress was ever taken. I'm really glad I did. Using the incantation would drain me, but the back door is kind of like a release valve, giving me power instead of taking it." She explained.

"Clever though unusual." He replied eyeing her with mild suspicion.

Why would she want to create such a complicated seal matrix for such dire circumstances? At the time, it was irrelevant even unlikely to occur, so why?

"I prefer to have as many options as possible, especially within my own home. That way I can ensure the lives of as many as I can." She answered his unspoken question, "Trust me, this won't be the last time you see one of my fail safes. I've set them up just about everywhere."

She walked closer to the gate and placed her hand on it. She closed her eyes and whispered two words, but he couldn't hear what she said though he had no doubt that Fran had, judging by the confused frown on her face. The gate swung open and the group of four went through, the gate closing behind them.

They scurried up to the higher path to watch the proceedings down below, but all Artz could focus on was the shirtless man held within the hanging cage. He looked like he hadn't been fed for weeks and was utterly filthy. She barely recognized the man that was her best friend, Captain Basch fon Rosenburg. She could still remember the first day they met like it was yesterday, her heart aching.


The crimson haired dimensional traveler known as Artz wandered around the town market of Nalbina Fortress. She had been in the Final Fantasy XII universe for a little over a week now, her head was still spinning from that revelation, and had spent most of that week being nursed back to health by her dark haired savior, Captain Benedict Strathem.

To think she would actually meet someone with the same name and general appearance of her secondary original character that she used in her stories to act as her counterpart. Stranger still was the fact that he was the captain and leader of the soldiers stationed here at Nalbina Fortress. You would think that someone as important as him would have at least been mentioned in the game, but nope, not a single peep about the 'Legendary Dark Warrior'. How did he become legendary in the first place? On second thought, she didn't want to know.

She sighed quietly, putting aside her constantly whirling thoughts to focus on her current surroundings. She frowned as she noticed the lack of people in the market. From what Ben had told her, the place was constantly bustling and buzzing with people, so why was it so incredibly empty now? She continued to look around, noticing one or two people on the far side and a single vendor still open for business. She walked over to him, both curious and concerned about what was going on.

"Excuse me, sir, but where is everyone?" She asked politely.

Last thing she needed was to step on any toes and make her now turned upside down life even more hectic.

"Down on Market Lane, close to the main entrance." He answered rather blandly, looking utterly bored out of his mind.

"Why?" She questioned frowning slightly.

"I ain't an information broker, lady, but if you buy something..." He hinted going from bored to hopeful in a blink of an eye.

She almost sighed but refrained. Ever the businessman, but even he had to make a living so she couldn't fault him for wanting her to buy something. She reluctantly pulled out the bag of gil (still sounds fishy to her) Benedict had given her. She was hesitant to use it, because she preferred earning her own way. She really didn't like to rely on the charity of others when she was fully capable of making her own money.

The only reason she had accepted it was because she currently had no skills or craft that would allow her to support herself. Her skill set simply didn't match up to this world and they had a different idea of what was of value and marketable. Her Dark Warrior was going to have a hissy fit when he realizes that she wants to be a mark hunter. He flat out refused to teach her how to fight or how to wield magick, but she was going to find a way.

The dark haired knight treated her like glass, fragile and about to break at a moment's notice. She couldn't exactly blame him for making that conclusion considering what she had just gone through and what she had lost by being brought to this world. She had experienced a tremendous shock, forcibly ripped from her world and all she knew, to be deposited in a universe, via a mist storm, she had believed to be entirely fictional and he was waiting for the inevitable.

She knew that she would eventually break down from the stress, but she had some modicum of control over her deeper emotions. She would only allow herself to grieve when she believed that the time was right and preferably not within view of any living soul. She was twitchy about crying in front of others, a long standing belief that crying in front of another was showing weakness and she refused to be weak. She wasn't one of those macho types that didn't know how to show her weakness. She was just incredibly picky is all.

It had to be someone she trusted absolutely, complete faith and total trust to be precise. Thus far, no one fitted that bill, not even her warrior, but perhaps one day that would change. At least, she hoped it would. For now she needed to be strong because she was in a new and very hostile world, one filled with monsters and creatures that would make the T-Rex look like a purring kitten.

Ivalice was going to be plunged into a war that would leave no place untouched, no safe haven for protection. She knew she needed to be strong, stronger than she's ever been, if she wanted a snowball's chance in hell at surviving, let alone trying to help the main heroes. She had to be strong no matter what and she knew that she was going to have to let go of a lot of her preconceptions, including her not taking a life. Such a lifestyle was no longer a valid option for her.

She steeled her resolve and utter contempt for having to use someone else's money as she surveyed the vendor's various wares which was quite a few. Unfortunately, much of it wasn't of any use to her in her current state and the prices were seriously high, much more so than she would have thought...especially for the more common items, simply ridiculous. She then spotted a beige messenger bag, very similar to the one she had back in her world, and she immediately pointed at it.

"Ah...you've got a good eye, little lady." The vendor commented retrieving the item, "This here is a magicked bag, capable of holding anything no matter its size...up to ninety nine per item that is."

One, when he called her 'little lady', she swore he sounded like John Wayne, and secondly, why only ninety nine?

"Why ninety nine? Why not an infinite supply or at least a larger one?" She asked honestly confused by the limitation.

Her mind flashed back briefly to her time playing Final Fantasy XII, particularly to the inventory screen. The max amount of each item that could be carried was ninety nine and it suited the game's mechanics, but why would such a limitation exist within the real universe of Final Fantasy XII?

"Got a smart one, eh? I concede that magick is a mighty powerful thing, but even it has its limits. You can carry an infinite number of items, but only ninety nine of each." The vendor answered sounding so smart.

"You have no idea how it works, do you?" She replied smirking, a knowing look in her eyes.

The vendor chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner, having been totally called out on his lack of knowledge.

"It's not exactly a question you're asked every day. Most people just accept it as fact and move on." He answered truthfully.

She wanted so badly to roll her eyes, but she didn't want to be rude after he had admitted the truth. At this point, she kind of guessed that it was going to be one of those questions that would remain unanswered unless she could track down and corner a magick theoretician or someone that was actually involved in the production of said bags. Couldn't she at least get one of her long standing mysteries about the game's mechanics solved? Was that really too much to ask...apparently it was.

She refocused on the still sheepish vendor, a determined look on her face. She was going to get her original question answered and to do that she needed to buy that bag.

"How much for the bag?" She inquired.

"Two thousand gil but for you, I'll drop it to eighteen hundred." He answered grinning.

She barely managed to keep her eyes from bulging out of their sockets. Her dark haired savior had told her that bags like these costed less than a Hi-potion and that was four hundred and eighty gil! She knew the prices were inflated because of Nalbina's location in the Estersand and the presence of the Aerodome, but this was beyond bonkers. Alright, time to get clever.

"What a rip off?! I'm paying no more than a thousand!" She exclaimed already acting on her plan.

She wanted to see if this guy would fall into the same trap as the jailer did in the movie 'The Mummy'.

"Sixteen hundred minimum!" The vendor shouted back.

She snorted, acting like she was insulted, but the only thought in her mind was hook, line, and hopefully sinker.

"Nine hundred." She stated crossing her arms and trying to look perturbed.

"You're supposed to go up not down!" He replied getting frustrated, "Twelve hundred!"

She glared at him as she put her hands on her hips.

"Seven hundred." She responded firmly, not budging an inch.

"Six fifty!" He shouted in desperation, not realizing that he had gone lower than she had.

"Deal!" She exclaimed, looking right pleased with herself.

She gave thanks for the obscene amount of television she watched growing up and they said you couldn't learn anything from TV. She smirked as the vendor blinked several times in stunned silence before a grin slowly formed on his face. She was glad that he wasn't angry with her.

"Well played, little lady, well played." He complimented as she handed him the agreed upon amount.

He handed her the bag and she swung the strap over her head, the bag resting against her left hip.

"I haven't haggled like that in forever. For a moment, I thought I was getting rusty." She commented smiling at him.

The vendor chuckled softly, his perceptive gaze lingering on her dark sapphire eyes as though he was searching for something. She didn't look away and evenly held his gaze, allowing him to find whatever it was he was looking for. After a moment, he nodded slightly as if to himself and his face became serious, all traces of his former humor gone.

"To answer your question, they're has been a lot of strain between the merchants and the soldiers. People are starting to get rowdy, if you know what I mean?" He revealed.

"Care to elaborate?" She asked, " Kind of new to town, not up to speed on the local politics."

"The last commander, Captain Davis, was not the best fellow to do business with. He was very strict, so strict that it practically strangled the life out of this place. Fortunately, he retired recently and left the service four months ago. He left his second-in-command, Captain Strathem, in charge. The merchants were hoping that Davis's policies would be revised to allow more freedom for the merchants and cutting costs too.

It actually takes a small fortune to even think about opening a small business here; license fees, stall rental, product shipping, advertising, special orders and such. That doesn't even include the cost of living here or even moving here. That's why the prices are so high here in comparison to say Rabanastre or even Nabudis." He explained in further detail.

"I see. Nalbina's location in the Dalmascan Estersand also plays a major part in the conflict due to the water and food supply. Being in a desert does make growing crops a challenge, but the merchants do know that there is an obscene amount of paperwork involved with a transfer of leadership, right?" She asked the vendor shaking his head in response, "You have to factor in the commander's personal preference in regard to files and reports. Sifting through it all could take years for the new commander, especially if they do not have prior knowledge of the previous leader's way of doing things. Even with that knowledge, it would still take at least two years for the Captain to be able to change anything at all."

"I tried telling them that myself, less words mind you, but it's all about what they want and not what's actually good for the community as a whole." The vendor agreed.

"Which explains why you're here instead of down there." She surmised giving him a knowing look.

"There's no way I'm getting in the middle of that. I value my life thank you very much, but I do feel bad about leaving the poor guy to face them alone. What's one knight supposed to do against a very unhappy mob?" He wondered.

"Which knight?" She asked becoming concerned that things might get ugly.

"I can't remember his full name, but I think his first name is Basch..." He started but then noticed her dashing towards the main entrance, "Hey!"

She ran down the street, knowing that she shouldn't considering she had yet to fully recover, but she couldn't let Basch face them alone. It wasn't long before she caught sight of the 'unhappy mob'. They had completely surrounded him, not allowing any direction for escape. She could barely see his shaggy blonde hair or blue-gray eyes, but she could tell that his patience was growing thin.

She shoved her way through the crowd, pushing people aside. It was hard to get through and she was already exhausted from her brief sprint, but she had to help him. She finally stumbled out into the small circle where Basch was standing, but she didn't get the chance to speak. Someone, she didn't know who, threw a rock at Basch, but she got in the way. There was a sharp pain in her left temple and she felt something hot and sticky running down her cheek.

She fell to the ground and the knight moved instantly to her side. She reached up and touched her temple. When she pulled back to examine her hand, she saw that it was blood. Damn, someone had one hell of throwing arm to actually cause a wound rather than a bruise.

Sadly, she couldn't focus on that because she felt something bubble up inside of her. She tried to hold it back, but it refused to be contained. A pulse of magick erupted from her body, forcing the mob back with many of them falling over each other because they had been so crowded in. Served them right in her opinion...idiots.

She rose shakily to her feet, swaying a bit, but Basch managed to keep her upright. She did not want to kiss the ground again...it was bad for her health. She glared hotly at the idiots that had started this mess and damn it all to hell, she was going to put an end to this stupidity once and for all.

"What the hell is the matter with all of you?! Do you want to bring the entire contingent down on our heads?!" She shouted her eyes glowing softly from her anger.

Silence fell over the crowd, but it didn't last as they got back on their feet. Then everybody started shouting at the same time, though she could pick out a few sentences here and there.

"We can't live like this!"

"We just want things to change!"

"My children are starving!"

"There's not enough water!"

"They're bleeding us dry!"

"We need help now!"

Dozens of voices merged into a symphony of chaos and her ears were really starting to hurt because of it. She whistled very loudly, so loudly in fact that the ones closest to her and Basch had to cover their ears from the sheer pitch of her voice. What can she say...she knows how to get attention when she wants to.

"I understand that things need to change, but harassing a single knight won't solve anything." She started trying to stay as civil as possible.

The voices stirred again and this time some were insults toward her. She really didn't care because they were idiots, but she would educate them in time.

"What do you know?!"

"You're an outsider!"

"You know nothing of suffering!"

She waited till the voices ebbed off before speaking again.

"While it is true that I don't know what you have gone through personally, but I do understand suffering. Everything I know and love is gone; my family, my friends, my home. All of that was taken from me. I know despair and loss, grief and sorrow. I'm all alone now with nothing to my name save the clothes on my back, but do you see me crying it about it?" She spoke softly, her eyes expressing everything she was feeling.

Quite a few people in the crowd had the decency to look ashamed, other looked at her with pity, and some were still not convinced.

"Instead of focusing on the hardships, focus on what truly matters and that is hope. Hope that things will get better, hope that you will live happily with your families, hope for a new beginning and a brighter future. You shouldn't be fighting against the soldiers, you should be working towards making things better for everyone." She continued seeing that her words were getting through to most of the crowd.

One woman with dark hair and grey eyes stepped forward, a determined look on her face and fire in eyes...figuratively speaking of course.

"Then what do you suggest we do? We cannot wait for the bureaucracy to sort itself out. Things need to change now if we are to survive." She stated earning several nods of agreement from the others.

"Agreed. Some things need to be taken care of, but accosting the knights will only prolong the people's suffering. There is, however, a way to expedite matters." Artz responded.

"How?!" The woman shouted half from shock and half from disbelief.

"Me." The ginger answered smirking.

"But how can you help?!" Someone shouted from near the back of the crowd.

"An outsider I may be, but this outsider just happens to have the ear of the fortress's recently appointed commander." The red head revealed.

"I know you! You're the one the Captain found in the Mosphoran Highwaste!" Another man yelled from somewhere to her left.

The crowd descended into whispers before Artz whistled yet again, gaining everyone's attention.

"Alright everyone, listen up! We're going to make three lists..." She began before she was interrupted by the woman that had stepped forward.

"Why three?" She asked.

Artz raised a finger for each list as she named them.

"Immediate, moderate, and long term. These are the main categories that all suggestions, complaints, and requests will fall into. Immediate is rather self-explanatory. These are the things that need to have immediate action given to in order to ensure survival and/or productivity.

Moderate is the list of things that need to be done sooner rather than later and although they need action, they can be put off for a short while or at least until everything in the first category has been seen to.

The category of long term is also self-explanatory. These are things that either require extensive planning or funds in order to implement. Also this category includes things that are not necessary for survival, but more for convenience or easier access to make things run more smoothly later on down the line." She described.

The people in the crowd looked rather surprised by how thought out her plan was and wondered when she had time to actually think about it.

"One more thing before we get started. Not everything you suggest will be fulfilled and the knights may ask things of you as well. Long story short, this will be a compromise." She stated watching the crowd begin to settle.

"Compromise?!" One man screeched but was ignored by the majority of the crowd who were far more interested in the ginger outsider that wanted to help them even though she didn't know them.

Instead of ignoring the man, Artz instead chose to answer him.

"Yes, compromise. A compromise is where neither party is truly happy about the outcome, but the situation is vastly improved from before." She elaborated.

The people were stunned that she replied to him, thinking that she would ignore him like the rest of them did, but she listened to what he had to say and responded kindly to him.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose." The man grumbled as he crossed his arms and looked away.

"Exactly, anything is better nothing." She replied with a smile, "Alright we need a pen and some..."

Her eyes dulled and she crumpled to the ground. Basch barely managed to catch her, slowly lowering them to the ground. The dark haired woman walked over to them, kneeling down to examine the red head. She gasped upon seeing the blood trailing down her skin. No one had noticed because her hair covered the injury and the trail of blood.

"She's hurt! Send for Gaius at once!" She commanded and someone near the back rushed towards the fortress where the physician resided.

"I'm okay. Just a little tired...and dizzy." The disoriented Artz reassured trying to sit up properly.

"You are not to move until Gaius has arrived and your injury tended to." The woman ordered expecting to be obeyed.

"Piss off. Shit needs doing and I'm not gonna let that stop me from helping these people." The red head snapped glaring at the woman who dared to order her around when she was trying to help.

The woman looked like she had been slapped, but still insisted that she at least remain seated while she worked. The ginger begrudgingly agreed, mainly because she really was too tired to really move much. She continued to organize the people and a young man about seventeen had apparently been writing down everything she said, so she put him in charge of writing the lists.

She did warn the crowd that if they didn't keep their tempers in check that she would make them all drowned rats...drowned with syrup that is. She knew where the store room was for the kitchen and she could easily carry out that threat. After much grumbling, the people filed into lines and took turns for the lists...which included a tally sheet so the Captain would know how his charges were thinking and feeling about certain things.

It wasn't a bad plan, really, a bit simple but it did get the people to calm down and use their brains rather than flying off the handle, doing something stupid, and ultimately making life miserable for everyone.

Artz finally stood up despite the raven haired woman's protests and the blonde knight, who had been silent the whole time, maneuvered her out of the sun and into the shade, letting her sit down on a sealed barrel. The raven pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the ginger's wound, making her wince every once in a while.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard. You're not fully recovered from the storm yet." She scolded softly, concern in her voice.

"I thought I recognized you. You're Morgana, Gaius's niece and apprentice." Artz commented as she watched the proceedings.

"How'd you know?" Morgana asked curious.

"You were there while I still a bit delirious after the storm. I remember you singing to me when I woke up from nightmares every few hours." She answered making the raven blush a bit, "When I asked who you were, Gaius told me about you; stubborn, strong willed, authoritative, worry wart, passionate, and bossy to boot."

"I'm only bossy when people don't listen to me." The raven replied giving the ginger a pointed look.

"You should ask instead of order. You'd be surprise how much more you can accomplish that way and definitely a lot less defiance." Artz countered a knowing smile on her lips.

Morgana huffed, knowing full well that the crimson haired woman was right. The middle aged physician named Gaius and Morgana's uncle and master approached them and tended to her, chastising her for doing too much too quickly and that he had half a mind to get Benedict to lock her in her room. He had to back pedal pretty quickly when he saw the mischievous look in her eyes, knowing that she would no doubt rise to the challenge and escape.

She simply laughed and apologized for overdoing it. She promised to be more careful in the future, to which she crossed her fingers behind her back which Morgana saw and had to muffle her laughter. Once treated, Gaius returned to the fortress, leaving his raven haired niece to fill in the silence with chatter while waiting for the list to be finished. She, thankfully, had to excuse herself and return to her duty's as an apprentice...and people called the ginger a chatter box. Artz had nothing on Morgana.

Once freed from the persistent, word vomiting Morgana, the crimson haired dimensional traveler was finally able to turn her attention to the still silent blonde haired knight that was Captain Basch fon Rosenburg who was sitting beside her and had been the entire time. He seemed content to be in her company, but he did glance often at her, making her wonder what was on his mind.

She mentally sighed. This was not how she wanted her first meeting with the Dalmascan knight to go and to be honest, she didn't actually know how to approach him to begin with, so it was probably a good thing that they met this way. Under normal circumstances, she would have been rather intimidated by him. She was shorter than he was, he was always armed, and let's face it, she did not have the best track record with men in general.

The silence dragged on between them and she was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. She didn't do well with silence, because when it was silent, it gave her too much time to think and in the end, she would overthink just about everything and ended up winding herself up into a frenzy. Her fingers started to twitch and she knew it was only a matter of time before she snapped. She fidgeted and shifted on her seat, her body growing more and more tense then...snap!

"Oh for the love of God, Basch! Just talk to me already!" She complained rather loudly before snapping her mouth shut in embarrassment.

Her sudden outburst elicited a soft chuckle from her blonde haired companion, making the ginger scowl at him when she realized that he had done it on purpose.

"I apologize, my lady." He stated turning his head to smile at her.

"One: I'm not a lady...probably the furthest thing from what you would even consider a lady. Two: You're an ass. And three: Ben told you about me, didn't he?" She replied her proverbial feathers ruffled.

"You may not be noble by blood, but you are noble of heart. Your actions this day has proven that to me. Also, I only provoked you because I could see how frustrated you were with the events of this day and you, undoubtedly, needed to release that frustration...in a non-violent way of course. And yes, Captain Strathem did inform of his rather spirited and curious ward. He spoke a great length about you." The knight explained.

"Ward? He seriously calls me 'his ward'?" She asked incredulous, receiving a nod from Basch, "I am so gonna bitch slap him, because I am not his ward, I am his friend."

"I was under impression that you had only known him for a week." The blonde stated confused by her declaration.

"Is there a question in there somewhere?" The red head asked wondering why he was so confused.

"You called him friend, yet that would require a previous meeting or relations. He has not spoken of any such interactions." He answered.

The crimson haired woman looked at him like he was an idiot. Was it really so foreign a concept for someone to befriend anyone on the spot in this world? She did it all the time back home. Huh, this world was just chalk full of surprises, wasn't it?

"Basch, I consider you a friend and we just met a few hours ago. I've known Ben for a week and consider him a close friend." She explained hoping that he would understand what kind of person she was.

"You trust that easily?" He questioned both surprised and concerned at the same time.

"I give my trust freely. Break it and it is difficult if almost impossible to regain." She answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

The knight's eyes lit up with understanding, finally coming to some sort of conclusion to the conundrum she represented.

"You believe in the best of people, their goodness. You give them your trust to prove that your offer of friendship is indeed genuine, despite how little time has passed. A rather forward approach, but also highly detrimental to one's emotional well being." He replied seeing the glaring weakness of such an attitude.

"You'll have to protect me then." She countered simply, nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders.

"Seeing as you risked your life earlier to shield me, I'd best make it a vow..." He started before realizing something else, "...without an expiration date."

Artz snorted before the giggles erupted out of her, her entire body shaking from her attempt to not full out laugh. When she finally settled down, she looked over at him.

"I will leave my emotional well being in your very capable hands..." She responded her eyes sparkling with happiness, "...in return for your eternal friendship that is."

"I vow to protect you, Lady Artz, and do all in my power to ensure your safety and happiness." He pledged his eyes, face, and tone being completely serious.

She blinked in surprise, taken aback by the sudden shift in the conversation. She hadn't expected him to take her seriously. She had just been joking around, but hearing him make such a vow, it put her at ease. The tension that had been inside her since she first arrived was beginning to melt away. His words wormed their way into her heart and filled her with a warmth she had never known before.

The ginger looked into his eyes, making sure that he was being genuine and not pulling another prank on her. He held her gaze and she knew that he meant every word he had said. Her vision swam as tears built up in her sapphire orbs. They slid down her cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them away.

The blonde knight made no move to comfort her which was definitely a smart move on his part. Any sort of physical contact would break the moment and she would hastily retreat into herself, most likely running away in the process. He simply continued to look into her eyes, allowing her to shed the tears that she had been holding inside her for so long.

In this single moment, she could let go of some the sorrow and grief that had been eating away at her all week. He had done something that she thought no one would have been able to do for a long time. He had completely bypassed her defenses by simply being who he was and she was so grateful for that.

She may have lost everything she ever knew and loved, ripped from her world and thrusted into this one, but she had found something that didn't expect to find for a long time.

A true friend.


The crimson haired mark hunter was jolted out of the memory when Vaan tugged on her arm. She quickly took stock of her surroundings and noticed that the Imperial Judge and his entourage were gone, meaning it was safe to come out of hiding. She rose to her feet and followed the others over to the hole where Basch's cage hung over.

"Who's there?" The knight asked.

Artz walked up to the cage and the blonde haired man looked positively stunned to see her, like he was seeing some kind of ghost or perhaps an illusion.

"My lady." He whispered hope and disbelief coloring his voice.

"Basch." She replied almost as quietly.

The sky pirate looked down into the chasm beneath the cage.

"This the place?" He asked trying to ignore silent exchange happening between the ginger haired goddess and the blonde haired knight.

"The Mist is flowing through this room. It must be going somewhere." Fran answered glancing briefly at the red head.

"It's the Barheim Passage, an old railway system for transporting goods, but went out of style when airships came into play. The Mist is thick and is home to quite a few pests." Artz commented her eyes still fixed on her friend.

"Please you must get me out..." Basch started desperate.

"It's against my policy to speak with the dead...especially when they happen to king slayers." The pirate retorted not even looking at the knight.

"I did not kill him." The blonde stated at the same time the ginger spoke, "He didn't kill him."

The knight stared at the mark hunter, relief in his eyes. She smiled softly at him, her eyes still holding the same trust she had placed in him all those years ago.

"Is that so? Glad to hear it." The pirate responded a bit of sarcasm in his tone.

"Stop being an ass, pirate." The red head hissed taking her eyes of the knight to look at him.

"Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca." Basch pleaded.

Artz groaned as the blonde haired youth flew into a rage and jumped onto her friend's cage. Did that boy even listen to her? She had explicitly told him that Gabranth had murdered the king, not Captain Rosenburg. Also if he trusted her tell him what to do, why couldn't he trust her when she told him the truth about Basch?

"Dalmasca! What do you care about Dalmasca?! Everything that's happened is because of you! Everyone that's dead, every single one! Even my brother...You killed my brother!" Vaan shouted his anger overriding his common sense.

"Quiet! The guards will hear." Balthier snapped trying to get the boy to calm down.

The crimson haired mark hunter glanced over at Fran when the Viera's ear twitched slightly, no doubt hearing the foot steps of the approaching guards. The Viera looked at the red head who nodded toward the lever near the hanging cage. Fran got the message.

"I'm dropping it." She stated firmly.

She kicked the lever, the chain attaching the cage to the ceiling beginning to drop. Fran jumped onto the cage.

"Pirates without a sky." Both Balthier and Artz said in unison.

The sky pirate then grabbed her about the waist and they jumped onto the cage themselves. The only thought on the ginger's mind was 'Here we go again.'


Lady Artz: That's it for Chapter Eight: The Dalmascan Knight! Took me a little over a day to get it all typed up. Man, I am rusty, but not to worry. I'll get back up to speed eventually. Also be sure to leave your guesses for the two words Artz spoke in order to open up the gate. Next up is Chapter Nine: A New Beginning! See ya later, dearies! *disappears*